Industry News
When temperatures drop in Oregon, Willamette Pass will be ready.
Willamette Pass recently announced major upgrades to its snowmaking system for the 2026-27 season. The upgrades will triple the resort’s snowmaking power and more than double its snow gun fleet. With the upgrades, the resort hopes to provide guests with earlier openings and more consistent conditions throughout the season.
The investment brings Willamette Pass’s snow gun total from 7 to 19. In addition to adding more snow guns, the resort also upgraded its pumps and water system, allowing it to churn out more snow when snowmaking windows are short. The resort described it as “one of the biggest investments we’ve ever made in the mountain.”
“More snow. More mountain. More skiing and riding,” the resort wrote in a Facebook post.
The new snow guns will be scattered from top to bottom across Willamette Pass’s 555 skiable acres, bringing more consistent coverage on more terrain. The guns will be placed on Kaleidoscope, Eagle’s Flight, Perseverance, By George, Rough Cut, and Sleepy Hollow, which are runs that typically rely on natural snowfall throughout the season. With more modern snowmaking guns, the resort increases its snowmaking capacity when temperatures are optimal.
It also allows snow guns to operate more efficiently during short windows. In the early parts of the season, snowmaking windows can sometimes last just a few hours. Upgrading snowmaking guns can pump out more snow in shorter periods, taking advantage of short cold spells.
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Upgrading Willamette Pass’s snowmaking is a part of its own history. Tim Wiper purchased the resort back in 1982, and in 1990, he built Oregon’s first snowmaking system on the pass. Since the resort entered a joint venture with Mountain Capital Partners in 2022, those pioneering upgrades have continued.
The upgrades are also part of Willamette Pass’s larger master development plan. The plan includes building six new chairlifts, a new conveyor, and expanding to the north and west of the existing terrain. The new lifts and conveyor improve access to beginner, intermediate, and expert terrain across the mountain, improving the guest experience and shortening lift lines. In addition to new lifts and terrain, the plan also outlines upgrades to the resort’s guest services. The planned upgrades include improvements to the existing base lodge, the construction of two new on-mountain restaurants servicing both the front and back side of Willamette Pass, and a new learning center at the bottom of Planned Lift A, Planned Lift F, and a planned conveyor. These updates are intended to accommodate increased visitation and growing capacity at Willamette Pass.
With its new snowmaking improvements, all that’s left to do at Willamette Pass is to wait for the temperatures to drop before snowmaking can begin. Its 19 snow guns scattered across the resort will bring more consistent coverage and allow it to churn out more snow when snowmaking temperatures arrive. And as the fall slowly creeps forward, skiers and snowboarders at Willamette Pass can start preparing for the start of the 2026-27 season.
